The No. 4 Virginia women's lacrosse team begins its quest for the program's third ACC Tournament title in four seasons this afternoon, when the squad will face in-state rival Virginia Tech at Ludwig Field in College Park, Md.
The third-seeded Cavaliers (12-3, 4-1), who share the regular season conference crown with North Carolina and Maryland, enter the tournament having won 10 of their last 11 matchups - including a current six-game win streak. During these last six games, the Virginia defense has held five of its opponents to fewer than 10 goals.
This marks the second consecutive season the Cavaliers will face the Hokies (6-10, 0-5) in the opening round of conference tournament play. Last season, the Virginia squad downed the Hokies by a score of 13-5 before falling to Maryland in the semi-finals.
Since the two teams began meeting in 1997, the Cavaliers have posted a 15-0 all-time record against the Virginia Tech squad. Nevertheless, recent events show that the Cavaliers may have more to fear this time around. In particular, Virginia's 20-14 road victory two weeks ago marked the closest margin of victory the Cavaliers have ever had against the Hokies.
"I think our first game against Virginia Tech was really good because it exposed what we really had to work on," junior defender Liz Downs said. "I think that Virginia Tech did a really good job of running the fast break against our team. This last week, we've been really preparing for that. I think we're going to be really ready defensively to matchup much better against them this time than last time."
The defensive mindset will not be the only change for the Cavaliers, who will feature a new starting lineup against the Hokies this afternoon. Coach Julie Myers said sophomore attack Josie Owen - who leads the team in assists but has been out of commission because she recently tore her ACL - will remain sidelined for the rest of the season. To compensate for Owen's absence, Myers plans to move sophomore midfielder Julie Gardner to the attack position and start freshman midfielder Anne Thomas in Gardner's usual role.
If the Virginia squad's past ability to overcome a player's season-ending injuries is any indication, the team should be well-equipped to compensate for Owen's absence. Earlier this year, redshirt sophomore attack Ainsley Baker tore her ACL, and as a result, freshman midfielder Caroline McTiernan was called upon to assume a more prominent role on the field. McTiernan has gone on to be relatively successful on the field, as she has contributed 13 goals in five starts for the Cavaliers this season.
"We've had so many injuries, and it's like a revolving door of who's playing on attack," Downs said. "I think that winning ACCs would just solidify that we have a really deep bench and everyone can contribute equally - starters [and] non-starters. We really are one team that's going to fight 'til the end."
Should the Cavaliers emerge victorious from today's contest, the squad will face a quick turnaround and take on second-seeded Maryland - the defending ACC champions - Friday afternoon. Regardless, the team is far from being doomed to failure, Myers said.
"We've been in a position where we've played that Thursday game a bunch of times, and we've come out as champions at the end of those weekends as often as we haven't,"
Read More
Virginia baseball falters, drops series to NC State
By Jacob Tisdale | YesterdayVirginia dropped a crucial ACC series, endangering a top seed in the conference tournament.
Women’s lacrosse upset in season-ending defeat against Florida
By Matthew Ryeom | YesterdayThe Cavaliers kept it close until the fourth quarter, where they ultimately came up short.
No. 6 men’s lacrosse trumps Saint Joseph’s 17-11 as Cormier breaks NCAA scoring record
By Ben Istvan | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers snapped their four-game losing streak with a comfortable win over the Hawks.
